April is a transition month for scholarships. Some of the larger, early-cycle awards are closing out, while more targeted or local opportunities are still open. It’s a good time to look for smaller, niche scholarships and to fill in any gaps that your larger awards may not cover.
This snapshot is built from CollegeWhale’s scholarship database and focuses on awards with April deadlines. It’s a month-by-month view of scholarships and grants so you can see what’s coming up, which awards you still have time to apply for, and how to plan your application workload across the year.
The CollegeWhale Scholarship FastFind™ makes it easy to discover scholarships with April deadlines — fast. Filter by award amount, deadline month, and estimated time to apply, then instantly download your personalized list. No sign-ups, no personal info, no spam — just real, verified scholarships.
The Southern Baptist Foundation National Scholarship Program provides financial support to students who are part of Southern Baptist churches and who are committed to pursuing higher education at accredited colleges, universities, or seminaries in the United States. The Foundation seeks
Award: Varies Deadline: April Est. Time: Med (~78 min)
The Create Real Impact Scholarship recognizes students who use their creativity, leadership, and communication skills to address the very real dangers of reckless and distracted driving. This scholarship encourages young people to speak out on the issue by creating original
Award: Varies Deadline: April Est. Time: Med (~58 min)
The Make-Up Designory Partner School Scholarship supports students attending official MUD Studio or MUD Partner Schools who are preparing for careers in professional makeup artistry. This scholarship is designed to encourage aspiring makeup artists, estheticians, and beauty-industry students who demonstrate
Award: Varies Deadline: April Est. Time: Med (~88 min)
The George Heller Memorial Scholarship, administered by the Actors’ Equity Foundation, supports aspiring theatre professionals who demonstrate artistic promise, dedication to the performing arts, and financial need. Named in honor of George Heller—an influential figure in Actors’ Equity Association—the scholarship
Award: Varies Deadline: April Est. Time: Med (~73 min)
The PGA WORKS Golf Management Scholarship supports students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds who are pursuing a career in the golf industry through a PGA Golf Management University Program. The scholarship is designed to create pathways into the business of
Award: Varies Deadline: April Est. Time: Med (~78 min)
The JCC Association Graduate Scholarship Program supports graduate students who are preparing for professional careers within the Jewish Community Center (JCC) Movement. This scholarship is designed to strengthen the next generation of Jewish communal professionals by assisting students pursuing advanced
Award: Varies Deadline: April Est. Time: Med (~78 min)
The Kentucky Grocers and Convenience Store Association (KGA/KCMA) Scholarship supports students who are pursuing higher education and who have demonstrated dedication, service or connection to Kentucky’s grocery, food retail or convenience store industries. The scholarship is designed to encourage educational
Award: Varies Deadline: April Est. Time: Med (~78 min)
The Kentucky Concrete Industries Association (KCIA) Scholarship supports students pursuing education in fields connected to construction, engineering, architecture, concrete technology, and related technical trades. The scholarship is intended to encourage the next generation of professionals who will contribute to Kentucky’s
Award: Varies Deadline: April Est. Time: Med (~78 min)
The Ayn Rand Institute (ARI) sponsors three major annual essay contests based on Ayn Rand’s classic novels: Anthem, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. These contests are designed to engage students with Rand’s themes of individualism, independence, personal responsibility and philosophical
Award: $50 Deadline: April Est. Time: Med (~43 min)
The Triple V $5,000 No Essay Storyteller Scholarship is designed for students who want a simple, stress-free scholarship application experience. Instead of submitting an essay, project or academic portfolio, applicants only need to answer a brief prompt about their personal
Award: $5,000 Deadline: April Est. Time: High (~93 min)
The American Culinary Federation Education Foundation (ACFEF) Scholarships support students at all stages of their culinary and baking education. These scholarships help aspiring chefs, pastry professionals, culinary managers and foodservice leaders access accredited training programs that prepare them for competitive
Award: $1,500 Deadline: April Est. Time: Med (~78 min)
The American Culinary Federation (ACF), through the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation (ACFEF), offers nutrition-focused scholarships to support students who are pursuing education at the intersection of culinary arts, nutrition, food science, and wellness. These awards are ideal for aspiring
Award: $1,500 Deadline: April Est. Time: Med (~78 min)This comprehensive collection of April scholarships and grants for the 2026 - 2027 school years is curated from our regularly updated databases. To explore all available scholarship matches, visit our Scholarship Database and Grant Database, which both offer easy-to-use filters, current deadlines, and detailed eligibility information to help you discover the best April scholarship opportunities.
April is when every local organization suddenly realizes graduation is right around the corner — and that’s exactly why the deadlines pile up. Many of these scholarships are run by school districts, rotary clubs, local businesses, unions, alumni associations, or community foundations, and they want to announce winners at end-of-year banquets or graduation ceremonies. Their committees are not giant national panels; they’re volunteers who review applications after work or on weekends, so they need April to finalize decisions. Another thing that makes April unique is that these awards often rely on local donors whose contributions are tied to the school-year cycle rather than the calendar-year cycle. Once spring hits, the money is already approved and the organizations start narrowing down recipients. The odds tend to be better than people expect because many students are drowning in AP exams, prom prep, and sports seasons — meaning they simply don’t apply. April has a quiet “local advantage” built in, and students who pay attention can benefit from it dramatically.
Pro Tip:
Ask your school counselor for a copy of last year’s scholarship announcement list. Most April scholarships repeat every year with the same deadlines, and you’ll discover programs your classmates don’t even know exist.
Yes, and for a very practical reason: committees have to move fast. Many April scholarships are intentionally designed with short prompts or straightforward questions because the reviewing groups don’t have months to score and debate essays. You’ll see a lot of “Tell us about a challenge you overcame” or “Why does this award matter to you?” formats — quick to write and quick to evaluate. Some applications don’t involve essays at all, relying instead on brief personal statements, recommendations, or school involvement forms. This doesn’t mean the awards are low quality; it just reflects the reality of how community-run scholarships operate. When volunteers are juggling dozens of applications while prepping for year-end events, simplicity becomes a necessity. And the surprising twist? Those simple applications often lead to high odds for motivated students because many people mistakenly assume a small or easy application isn’t worth the time.
Pro Tip:
When a scholarship has a short prompt, don’t write a short answer out of convenience. Write a tight, memorable story — it’s the easiest way to stand out in a stack of quick, generic responses.
April is the month when many organizations refocus on community impact — and scholarships targeting first-generation, minority, or underrepresented students often open or close during this period. Local donors and civic groups frequently prioritize students who represent the heart of the community, and many feel strongly about supporting applicants whose families are navigating college for the first time. Because these awards are often created by people who grew up in the same region, they tend to look for signs of determination rather than polished resumes or perfect GPAs. Another dynamic at play is that counselors and teachers begin nominating students for community-based awards around April, and they often choose first-gen applicants who’ve shown resilience or leadership. The emotional timing matters too: April feels like decision month, and committees want to help students who appear to be right on the edge of making college possible. It’s one of the few months where lived experience can outweigh academic stats.
Pro Tip:
If you’re a first-generation student, add a short paragraph about how you navigated the process without family experience — local committees connect strongly with that honesty and often reward it.
Reviewed by CollegeWhale Editorial Team on November, 2025. Content is updated regularly to reflect current scholarship deadlines and verified data from official sources.
Quickly navigate to some of our most popular scholarships, such as state-specific scholarships, major-specific scholarships, and other popular categories. Please search our Scholarship Database to get matched with many more scholarships specific to your personal criteria.